It is known that, livestock are domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber, and labor. Common types of livestock include, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and horses. Livestock are generally raised for profit, and thus are a valuable commodity to be protected against disease, sickness, and theft. The inventor was familiar with livestock, and in particular animal husbandry, which is a component of modern agriculture. The inventor was very interested in breeding patterns of the livestock.
The inventor was aware that livestock are generally kept in an enclosure, are fed by human-provided food, and are intentionally bred. However, the inventor was also aware that some livestock are not enclosed, but rather, allowed to breed freely. The inventor knew that in large open ranges the livestock may be only occasionally inspected or yarded in round-ups for counting and assessing the health of the livestock. Often, herding dogs or cowboys could be used for mustering the livestock. But this could be costly, especially for ranches ranging thousands of acres. Nonetheless, the inventor knew that whether fenced up, or free to roam over wide ranges, livestock was susceptible to disease and health concerns.
The inventor observed livestock operations and observed some common problems. The largest problem seen by the inventor was that the breeding, or more specifically, copulating patterns of the livestock was difficult to monitor. This was made more difficult when the livestock roamed over large ranges.
The inventor was aware that more than 90% of the cow's fertilization from a bull in the United States was performed through natural breeding. Through routine observation, the inventor recognized that at the beginning of the mating season, the bulls were routinely checked for mating and fertility capacities. The veterinarian or farmer selected the bulls for a determined herd that was in good reproductive conditions.
Through research and conversation with farmers and veterinarians, the inventor discerned that determining when a bull copulates over a cow is an indication of oestrus, which is important to determine the fertile period when cows may be artificially inseminated. Additionally, the health of the bull or a cow can be determined based on the copulation pattern, so as to cull out the weaker livestock that are not reproducing efficiently.
However, the inventor quickly learned that once the bulls are put with the cows, they are seldom checked for their ability to mate appropriately. This was chiefly due to the difficulty to follow or closely check the bulls under forage conditions and also because there is a natural tendency that the bull to mate early in the morning. Another factor is the great amount of time needed to check multiple bulls at the same time.
The inventor recognized that there would have to be a means to detect every time the bull copulated with the cow, so as to better manage the reproduction patterns. The inventor observed the copulation and noted that during copulation, the bull lifts the trunk and anterior part while keeping the substantial portion of the weight of the body over the rear legs. This inclined lift is made along a forward movement and so the bull is positioned over the back of the cow. The inventor also saw that at the time of thrust or just before it, the bull moved forward with the necessarily curving of the spine which is maximum in the dorsal spine area. This produced an angle in the dorsal spine of at least 45°. The inventor decided that by detecting this 45° angle, the moment of copulation could be determined.
The inventor researched and learned that a tilt sensor could detect when an angle was changed from a reference, or horizontal angle, to the 45° angle. The inventor decided to develop a device that could mount a tilt sensor on the dorsal spine area of the bull. The device mounted onto the bull, forming a secure covering for protecting the tilt sensor. However, the device was disturbed while attached to the bull. Other animals, fences, posts, and trees would knock it from its place on the bull. The inventor added elastic straps and an uneven mounting surface to further secure the device to the back of the bull.
However, the inventor soon learned that the number of times that the bull copulated was not known. The inventor integrated a counting apparatus into the device. The inventor operatively connected the counting apparatus to the tilt sensor, such that every time the tilt sensor detected the bull in a 45° angle, the counting apparatus registered a count. The inventor then continued enhancing the device by including a transmitter that transmitted the count data to a remote data storage. In this manner, analysis of the breeding habits was facilitated.
However, the inventor soon realized that the battery that powered the device would die quickly and negate all the advantages of managing the breeding patterns. The inventor was aware that portable solar cell electricity chargers have been developed to receive and convert sunlight into electrical energy. The inventor also knew that livestock chiefly remained outside under the sun. The inventor decided to integrate a solar panel into the device, such that it could operate for extended period of times (a year or longer) without battery replacement or power outages.
The inventor further modified the device by providing a remote processor that could operatively communicate with the device. And since the device was now operable remotely, the inventor decided to integrate a tracking processor and chip in the apparatus. In this way, the device could be remotely operated and the livestock could be remotely tracked. The inventor finally took the step of including a gyroscope to the tracking chip so that it would be apparent if the livestock fell to its side, such as in an accident or death. The inventor also developed a livestock breeding management method based on the device.
Managing livestock for breeding purposes has been performed in the past, yet none with the present characteristics of the present invention. See Patent numbers: U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,490; Chinese CN102870739; and U.S. 20090283050.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a device and method for managing livestock breeding patterns by detecting a mounting or bulling position by a copulating livestock over a recipient livestock that correlates with copulation behavior.